The NRL is potentially facing another drugs-related crisis, with reports emerging this morning that Sydney Roosters prop Martin Kennedy is set to be handed an infraction notice by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority as early as today, meaning the player could be facing a possible two year suspension over an issue allegedly surrounding performance enhancing drugs.
Channel Seven reported this morning that ASADA is preparing to issue Kennedy with the notice, which could be handed down today – although at this stage ASADA, nor representatives for Kennedy, the NRL, or the Roosters have made any official comment.
It is suspected that ASADA has been investigating Kennedy since 2013 in the same set of enquiries that nabbed Kennedy’s close friend and former teammate Sandor Earl, who was issued a infraction notice for the use and trafficking of performance enhancing drug CJC-1295, and has been fighting a potential four-year ban through legal channels ever since.
Kennedy’s notice reportedly would only be for the use of a PED – and not trafficking – meaning the length of the ban would remain at two years, and not the extended four that Earl faces. Outside of the Cronulla Sharks peptides case, these are the only two cases from the NRL to draw the attention of the nation’s anti-sports doping watchdog.
The issuing of the notice comes on the heels of a particularly busy week for ASADA, who on Monday issued a show cause notice to Ryan Crowley of the AFL‘s Fremantle Football Club, following a positive game day test for a banned substance, purportedly contained in a painkiller sourced from outside the Dockers’ club doctor. ASADA is also preparing to receive the ruling from the AFL Tribunal in relation to the long-running Essendon supplements saga.
Martin Kennedy returned to the Sydney Roosters this year after spending one disaffected year playing for the Brisbane Broncos. He has yet to play first-grade rugby this year, but was named on an extended interchange bench for this coming Monday night’s clash against the Penrith Panthers.
Photo: Renee McKay via Getty Images.
